The Soul Train Awards return to the airwaves in 2026 on November 27 on BET and being simulcast on CBS. The awards gala is also being streamed on BET Her, VH1, MTV2 and Logo.
Returning after a three year absence, Jesse Collins Entertainment will produce the event with Connie Orlando, Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay as executive producers.
BET CEO Scott Mills chose to suspend the Soul Train and BET Hip-Hop Awards in 2023 saying they needed to adapt to the changes in digital and streaming. He added, “but we have a team that’s actively thinking about where those award shows might best live as the media climate continues to evolve. They aren’t gone.”
Launching on a local television station in the 50’s, “American Bandstand” made the move to national television with Dick Clark hosting the dance show that featured the current popular music of the day.
In 1970, Don Cornelius began an R&B and Soul version of the show in Chicago he named “Soul Train”. The show went national the following year.
In 1987, the inaugural “Soul Train Awards” show aired honouring the best in R&B, Soul, and Hip-Hop music.